Saturday, January 6, 2018

This is the third post in my megadungeon dalliance, a great big d100 table of rumors to add flesh to the city and create some points of curiosity and tension. You might want to read the first megadungeon post if you haven't yet. Here are some other notes I haven't mentioned:

Well known factions...

the
Children, all wizards to a person, with the gifts and biases
inherent in such a homogenous group. Powerful factions within the
Children are the primary students and chroniclers of history,
metascience, and omnimagic theory, they have maintained control over the city for many hundreds of years.

Tyra's
Capstone, devouted worshippers of the Goddess Tyrant. In one way
or another each is a master of their field. Main competitors of the
Children, whose primary goal is to achieve control over the city.

the
Skywatch, a
group who are myopically focused on their percieved threat of the
Shem. They want genocide against the flying slaver race. Despise
the philosophies and focus of the Delvers.

the
Delvers Collective, who believe
in the answers beneath their own feet for various reasons, and are
the sponsors of 70% of the often ill-fated expeditions into the Foabeléth Ordirrex.

the
Moonmythus, primarily wizards
and others who value the hypermagic flesh of the moon (silver), and
plots and magic based in the moon itself their great
mystery-certainty.

The deepest part of the megadugeon, the dungeon heart, the ur-dungeon within, is the Foabeléth Ordirrex.

The Children Neovam are the high council of the Children.

Silver is highly magical in this place and very rare, all silver here comes from fallen pieces of the moon.

The Census Objex are the city's magipolice, primarily concerned with damage to the city and preserving order.

Sunhold and Stormseat are the two seasons, the dry and the wet.

Booezor Rumor
Table (d100)

01 there are
humans in the city from Damasc or Fortunal far across the
Thousand Oceans, hiding in plain sight among the iele.

02 one of the
hotels of the city is haunted, four schools of necromancers are
dumbfounded, the site is a font of natural energy, and the spirits
involved are nature spirits.

03 the Children
have “planted” a three foot pyramid many miles to the south, it
seems made of black stone, they hope to nurture it to grow into a
great tower and take hold of the passage between the two jungles.

04 the fief farms
scattered about the Cnatka Taer are some of the quietest and safest
places on the continent, they are considered valued partner-assets
of the Children, and are well guarded by them.

05 one of the fief
farms scattered about the Cnatka Taer was totally destroyed by
hostile druids, and the residents were all transformed into strange
animals.

06 minor golem
butlers with silver hearts have become oddly common while many
rumors circulate around regular violent malfunctions.

07 occasionally a
murderer will hide their handiwork in the hollow body of a newly
constructed servant golem, and in even rarer instances this results
in a very dangerous kind of new undead.

08 single flawless
crystals of quite large size have become a controlled good recently,
word amongst some of the loose-lipped arch-apprentices is that
something from another world can see through them.

09 in the lower
city tiers, a plentiful and cheap new kind of egg has become a
household staple, only folks swear a few of each dozen always seem
to go missing.

10 the Eidolon, a
gigantic winged creature of unknown origin is one of the city's
safeguards against aerial assault, the few who have seen it will not
speak of it.

11 the
Labrynthyne, the forever dungeon of Children, built for their lesser
enemies has many connections to the megadungeon Foabeléth Ordirrex.

12 the Labrynthyne
has opened, or ruptured, or malfunctioned, prisoners have begun to
appear seemingly at random around the city.

13 hungry ghosts
run a terrifying delicatessen where the most bizarre “meats” can
be found.

14 a thick red
mist has been seen among the high spires of the city's upper tiers,
there have been several horrific incidents of mutilation and murder
by household staff who speak only nonsense about whispers in the
mist.

15 two groups in
Cindiband vie for a Sky Child attended by strange monsters who are
like stars and darkness.

16 caves are
constantly opening, shifting and connecting under the encroaching
ridgewaste near the city, new cave systems while unstable, can be
rich in clearly exposed natural resources.

17 an oddly shaped
part of the ever encroaching, barren, and wretched ridgewaste nearby
has grown lush again, the devout of Immacula wish to possess the
place, and many others are interested.

18 some of the
edges of the ever encroaching ridgewaste have formed into strange
rocky crystalline structures, which new creatures have issued from,
razing at least one far-flung fief farm.

19 wealthy
citizens currently enjoy the Dreambox fad, a kind of terrarium or
shadowbox, kept in a room for entertaining and occasionally moved
to the bedroom to be filled with some of its owner's dreams.

20
no normal weapons originate in the city, everything has a subtle
and specific magic whether intended or not.

21
there is a respected Blue Naga in the Precious Pillars attempting
to sell certain debts she owns of her people for vast sums or
moonsilver, Naga Spirit Debts give one conditional ownership over a
Naga.

22
the merchant guilds are currently powerful, prices have grown high
and homogenized.

23
a new merchant guild has appeared offering fantastically low prices
and a wide array of goods, this is sowing chaos and bloodthirsty
resentment among the other guilds while delighting the citizenry.

24
to the north of the city is a Pillar Garden, a place where great
natural stone columns hang in the air unconnected to the ground, one
of the mage elite seeks to fell one of the pillars and return it to
the city to be installed as their new residence.

25
the city is full of magical creatures and enchanted animals being
used as messengers and spies, assume any public conversation has
been overheard.

26
there is a species of hummingbird only found among the hybrid
orchids kept by the nobles of the Precious Pillars.

27
a plague of green boils that leak gas rather than pus, ravages the
poor residents of the Weave, or a village of Bottomshelf, the area
has been quarantined by city officials.

28
one of the public arena spheres has had six consecutive bouts end
in execution, the winning mages, many uninterested in the technical
magics, have all applied themselves with great effort to the study
of new strange summoning spells.

29
one of the public arena spheres is badly malfunctioning, magic cast
within will have a 50% chance to have between 10% and 1000% the
normal effect.

30
one of the public arena spheres is inert but retains a functional
anti-magic shell, a gang of enterprising young mages have taken the
area, and have weaponized the dilapidated structure in several ways.

31 resurrection insurance has become popular with the super rich,
assassins have become less dangerous than a well paid lawyer.

32
across the continent people of every type see Booezor as their
goal, even those who have one of the other brands of civilization at
their very fingertips.

33
one of the Children is, contrary to all reason, selling verified
teleportation magic, the sum is the most outrageous ever asked for a
single spell.

34
there is an outsider in the city with working teleportation magic,
many separate forces are searching for this individual to buy,
steal, or enslave their power.

35
Red Glass from an unknown interior desert is the most popular
narcotic in the city right now, but the byproduct created after use
becomes more toxic and mutative the more that is collected together.

36
Sour Stones from the ridgewaste caves are the most popular narcotic
in the city right now, but an abundance of missing people and a lack
of bodies propel the rumors that those who overdose are transformed
and seek lairs underground.

37
Purple Lotus from the Quus mire is the most popular narcotic in the
city right now, but some children who are exposed become powerful
oracles only able to see the future, reports of missing children
are the highest ever.

38
Brightgrape Wine from along the Pofft Coast is the most popular
narcotic in the city right now, three powerful trading families have
been brutally fighting for sole control of the grapes.

39
a pod of creatures called Azure Lumpish, a sort of large flying
dolphin, are approaching the city in their annual migration, they
come to trade their strange psychic powers for the city's magical
auguries.

40
the lower tiers of the city are home to many feral and domestic
spidercats, and the abundant resources available mean brooding
females can grow far beyond the two foot “pet size” and into
maneater range within a season.

41
people's pets are running away from home in droves, while all kinds
of animals have been seen flocking to a certain entrance of the
sub-city.

42
Greedy Ants are found only in the city, they appear like other
small brown ants but are drawn to caches of gold, which they are
able to shave pieces from with their strange mandibles.

43
the lower tiers of the city suffer first as Sweepers, large hairy
snail-like animals, go missing in droves, killing them is
oppressively outlawed and their meat is universally poisonous so
confusion runs rampant as the filth piles up.

44
the most delicious dishes and the most amazing culinary delights
are found in Stoneforest, prepared by perhaps a dozen of the most
masterful gourmets on the continent, one is even said to have been
an apprentice to one of the fabled Cauldron Hags.

45
it is said that within the Egg, the palace or campus of the
Children, the greatest library in the continent is kept.

46
the Foabeléth Ordirrex has forced itself upward into the connective dungeons, decreasing the depth
to reach it.

47
the Foabeléth Ordirrex has
condensed, folding deeper into itself, and increasing the depth to
reach it.

48
the Foabeléth Ordirrex has
extended a Thorn through the miles of normal dungeon-space that lie
between it and the city, appearing in a public square it is a door
into the heart of the megadungeon and will be pruned back soon by
the Children for the common good.

49
a black floating tower has been seen far to the east on the ancient
path to Ig, no one has dared approach within a mile.

50
one the daemantine keys of the Children, the ones that unlock the
Egg and are storied to protect themselves and return to their owner,
has inexplicably gone missing and lies discovered or not somewhere
within the city.

51
it is said that the Grand Stair, the enchanted road that leads to
the city, has its own guardian creature which none have seen, it is
called the Passage and stretches the length of the stair.

52
the Fasinaa of the Third Realm to the south, commonly called the
Floating Forest, have become more and more aggressive toward
caravans passing by, the other three of the Four Realms remain quite
about their intraspecies politics and offer no aid.

53
many levels into the Tomb of the Mountain Heart, the most expansive
and aged catacomb in the city, sits the necropolis known as the
Alabaster Vault, a village of the living and undead.

54
the Delvers' Collective is
sponsoring a Mass Descent 1d4 weeks from now into one of the deepest
known parts of the megadungeon, their target five filigreed gold
rods, their nature is unknown.

55
the Cult of the Black Sun maintains their position in the city to
finance research of powerful magics, they seek the power to put out
the very Sun.

56
the varied members of the Moonmythus value silver, the magical
flesh of the moon more than any amount of wealth, they amass their
small hordes of silver hoping like will attract like and the the
moon will be drawn to the city.

57
the meritarchs of Tyra's Capstone will never be satisfied until
they have wrested control of the city from the Children one way or
another.

58
the Skywatch have been very vocal of late in their campaign to crystallize the threat of the Shem, Booezor is safe from all things
but those horrors, they say, they began this city and they will be
back for it in force one day.

59
a lost giant/magical “pet” encountered in streets, its owner is
a richly mad and madly rich little child whose parents are
completely cowed.

60
a strange iele child offers to sell you a small creature in a jar,
the child promises wonders and you have never seen the thing's like
before.

61
a miasmic former drug house is tainted with dangerous magical
contaminates and the effects are spilling over into other houses.

62
there is a riot unfolding in the Beastmile at the bottom of the
city, strange and common animals captured across the continent are
escaping back to the wilds and into the city itself.

63
there is a riot unfolding along the Luminous Bridge from Cindiband
to Lighttown, foot passage to the higher tiers of the city is
currently blocked.

64
youth gangs in the Fruitbasket/Waspnest area mark their territories
with magical graffitti, these patterns, images, and slogans can have
surprising effects on those who see or approach them.

65
a hawker in Fruitbasket sells strangely spoiled potions that are
discounted but still functional, they often have bizarre, unintended
effects.

66
there is a seller of magical scrolls in Waspnest, their works are
unique and top notch, but no matter which spell you buy the scroll
always contains a different one.

67
long before was a time when the city was controlled by the Autarch,
the greatest iele wizard there ever was, their remaining magics and
treasures make pale imitations of modern works.

68
long before was a time when the city was controlled by a mad
pantheon of seven demigods, once legendary heroes, three hailed from
other worlds.

69
long before was a time when the city went through a Cryst Ziel (lit.
“Crystallized Soul”) fad, many inert and still reactive Crystals
still lie beneath the city.

70
long before was a time when the city was built as a hive of the
dreaded Shem, no one knows what can be found in the alien places far
below that still bear their touch.

71
long before was a time when the city traded with and was in
communication with Ig the City of Outcasts, now the Chrichoral say
that city has “moved”.

72
there is a summoning tournament being held in Lighttown, there are
multiple categories to enter and prizes to win.

73
there is an artistic illusion tournament being held in upper
Lighttown with many categories, Emotional Response, Pranks, Free
Expression.

74
there is an aerial racing tournament being held in Stoneforest,
participants may fly under their own power, use personal magical
flight, ride a flying creature, or ride a flying magitech
contraption.

76
the Census Objex have their hands full with magical crimes
threatening the peaceful operation of the city, they are half as
likely to appear for non-critical incidents.

77
the Census Objex have the city under tight observation and control
so magical crime is low, they are twice as likely to appear for
non-critical incidents, and may anticipate
critical ones.

78
the Census Objex have been unable to capture a serial bomber
operating in Lighttown, frustrated club owners and wealthy hedonists
are seeking outside solutions.

79
the weather is growing unnaturally cold, snow and ice have been seen
in the highest tiers of the city, this occasionally happens in a
place so rich in magic, but will grow worse and worse the longer it
lasts.

80 Sunhold has brought such serious drought this year that the lower tiered
communities have turned to priests of Immacula for sources of
drinking water, as well as the sewers, hydromanders, even robbery.

81
this year's Stormseat has dumped so much rainfall on the city that
not only have the sewers completely run over, several of the
overbuilt lower tier neighborhoods have flooded as well.

82
one of the Children Neovam masquerades as a beggar, merchant, or
messenger to experience common life.

83
one of the Children Neovam is a demon entity from a subwave plane.

84
one of the Children Neovam appoints a successor from a random nearby
wizard if killed, and takes partial control of their life.

85
one of the Children Neovam is a power-hungry relic-seeker, already
blacklisted by 1d4 mercenary companies.

86
one of the Children Neovam eats iele children to increase its
lifespan.

87
one of the Children Neovam is the offspring of the goddess Naudde,
a demigod who may never venture under the open skies.

88
one of the Children Neovam is a body-jumping parasite.

89
one of the Children
Neovam is 5,000 years old, a natural magus born clutching a
moonsilver nugget.

90
arch-magical relics have been found in the strata of the city's
lower tiers, tunneling robbers move throughout people's basements
and sub-cellars, causing many horrible incidents.

91
sealed towers exist in the city, some are larger inside than out,
some connect eventually to the Foabeleth Ordirrex, some are
still/newly occupied, some are not towers at all.

92
even the stones of many of the city streets have their own subtle
magic, some can be harvested as there are many streets that have been
plucked bare, others cannot be taken.

93
in this city of a thousand small streets, there are dead end alleys
where the terminal wall ends in a relief of a mask or a face, each
uniquely sized and patterned, they are the husks of nature spirits
entombed in this manufactured place.

94
Chrichoral traveling from the Aika Aitat bring dire news about
Centerscar, the Hive Mouth has opened wider, and those who fly over
its blackness drop dead from the air.

95
Manifrond the debtmage has used a new spell to trade his familiar
for another man's arm, now concerned that his ex-familiar's death
might still impact him, he wants out of the deal.

96
the heat and moisture this year have been just right for the giant
termites of the nearby mounds to birth new queens and winged drones,
Booezor is always an attractive target for their new colonies.

97
slimy, hairless, single-eyed rats have been spotted all across the
lower tiers of the city, they are stealing food, seemingly inedible
magical components, and are the rumored cause of a vile new plague.

98
Ollgrad merchants have recently introduced to the city a rapidly
growing creeper vine, whenever a patch of this plant hits a certain
size it becomes a predatory people-eater.

99
the Shem have brainwashed slave agents in the city who seek to bring
it down.

00
many seers and astrologers suggest a comet will strike the city in
1d100 days.

Now that was a beast! I mean, encounter tables, sure I eat and breathe that stuff, but city rumors? That took a month. Anyhow, Happy New Year. This will be the second real year of the blog and I feel pretty pleased about that... consider my resolution to post more, but still never till I have something good. Thanks for reading!